Kent School Adds Three New Board Members

The Kent School Board of Trustees has elected three new members for multi-year terms beginning in the 2018-2019 academic year. The Board of Trustees at Kent School is comprised of parents, alumni, parents of alumni and community leaders. Joining the Board are Karl Adler, Jamie Kirkpatrick and Kurt M. Landgraf. Kent School is an independent, not-for-profit school and is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees. The Board is charged with keeping the school “in trust” and securing the school’s future. Nancy Mugele, Head of School at Kent School said, “I am deeply grateful to Karl, Jamie, and Kurt for sharing their expertise with Kent School. Each of them has significant experience specific to the governance and life of independent schools. I am confident each will bring additional thoughtful and creative leadership to our school community and I cannot wait to work with them.”

Karl Adler is an experienced educator and school administrator who currently works as the Head of the Middle School at St. Anne’s School of Annapolis and Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth summer program (currently Hong Kong, previously Chestertown). He has served as the middle school head of The Calverton School (Huntingtown) and the head of St. James Academy (Monkton). He served on the Vestry of St. James (Monkton), the Board of Directors for Scientists Cliffs Association (Port Republic) and the Board of Directors of Flag Harbor Condo Association (St. Leonard). Karl earned a BA in English from Muhlenberg College, an M.Ed in Educational Leadership from Goucher College and Post-Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership from Johns Hopkins University where Nancy had the pleasure to teach him.

Jamie Kirkpatrick graduated from The Choate School and Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and served for six years in the Peace Corps before obtaining a Master of Arts Degree in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School in Massachusetts. He was Director of International Programs at Special Olympics from 1984-1989 and served as Director of College Counseling at the Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland from 1993-2015. In 2008, he spent four months on a Teaching Fellowship at St. Andrews University in Scotland. After retiring from Landon, Jamie has worked as a consultant to the college counseling offices of St. Andrews Episcopal School, Georgetown Day School, Gunston School, and Severn School. Jamie is currently a freelance writer and photographer. His articles have appeared in the Washington Post, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Baltimore Sun, and Philadelphia Inquirer; recent magazine articles have appeared in The Washington College Alumni Magazine and American Cowboy Magazine. His first book of photography, A Place to Stand, was published by The Chester River Press in 2015. Jamie writes and illustrates a weekly column called Musings for The Chestertown Spy. His second book, Musing Right Along, was published in May, 2017. A sequel—I’ll Be Right Back—was released this summer.

Kurt M. Landgraf, a former corporate executive with deep experience in financial accountability, information technology, and integrated business strategies, was named President of Washington College in July 2017. Kurt was a senior executive with DuPont and held a 13-year tenure as President and CEO of Educational Testing Service (ETS), the world’s largest private educational testing and measurement organization and a leader in educational research. He also served as vice chairman of New Jersey’s Higher Education Commission, the state’s governing board for colleges and universities, and president of the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Kurt earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration from Wagner College, and then launched his business career in the pharmaceuticals industry. He went on to earn three master’s degrees: an M.A. in economics from Pennsylvania State University, an M.Ed. in educational administration from Rutgers University, and an M.S. in sociology from Western Michigan University. He is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program and serves on the boards of Corning Incorporated and Louisiana-Pacific Corporation.

In addition to electing these new trustees, the Board also elected Harry ‘Stoney’ Duffey and Thomas Gale to the role of Trustee Emeritus. This designation recognizes a long serving former Trustee who has made an extraordinary contribution to the School. Mugele continued, “Both Stoney and Tom have served the school in vital ways over the School’s fifty year history. I am certain we would not be where we are today nor poised for future successes without their wisdom and dedication.”

Kent School, located on the bank of the Chester River in historic Chestertown, is an independent school serving boys and girls from Preschool through Grade Eight. For more information about Kent School visit www.kentschool.org or call 410-778-4100 ext. 110